Au × Transformers
au x Transformers is a 2017 TakaraTomy toyline produced in cooperation with au and KDDI. The line celebrates both the 15th anniversary of the 2002 au Design Project's INFOBAR cell phone, as well as the 10th anniversary of the live-action Transformers films.
The toys are roughly 1:1 scale, but do not replicate any of the phone's functions, though with a battery inserted, they can be paired to a smart phone via Bluetooth and can act as a notification alarm in either mode. The line consisted of four toys sharing the same mold which included cardboard punch-out screen options that could be inserted into their phone screens.
Production of this toyline was crowd-funded through Japanese crowd-funding site Makuake.[1] For 5,400 yen, contributors received an INFOBAR Optimus Prime, or for 16,200 yen, received INFOBAR Optimus Prime, INFOBAR Megatron and INFOBAR Bumblebee, the only way to obtain the last two items. The project received one million yen in the first 24 hours, ultimately topping out at over 32 million yen.
